where it all began
by Trevor the Enchanter
Summary: How did Jack, Maddie, and Vlad become obsessed with ghosts? Follow them into their senior year where they face their first supernatural enemy: Freddy Krueger. I'll do my best to keep this a "T" rating.
1. First sighting

I have to admit, I've always wondered: How did Jack and Maddie's obsession with ghosts begin? This is a short story with an explanation. It follows Jack, Maddie, and Vlad in their senior year of high school. It's about 2 years before Vlad's accident, which is my interpretation of his age, since I think he's around 40 years old in the series.

In any case, please enjoy the story.

"See, V-man? I told you you'd do fine." Jack Fenton laughed. He, Madeline "Maddie" Stevens, and Vlad Masters were best friends in their senior year of high school. Vlad and Maddie had known each other since 1st grade, while they met Jack as freshmen.

"Okay, I see your point." Vlad replied, holding his latest "A" paper. "But I always worry about this stuff, you know. I want to get high marks and actually have some success in the world."

"Vlad, believe me, you'll make the entire world notice you." Maddie pointed out. "We're looking at a future billionaire! Speaking of which, what do you guys have planned after school?"

"Just some revenge," Jack shrugged. "I'm going to teach Rod that nobody messes with my friends and gets away with it!"

"Rod is just an idiot; he's not worth listening to." Maddie rolled her eyes. He made moves on her for a while, but to his credit, he eventually backed off. "I'm a little worried about Tina, though"

"Who's Tina?" Jack and Vlad questioned.

"It's his girlfriend." She explained. "She was looking rather shaken up today. At first, I thought they had another fight, but she looked terrified, not angry, and I saw a couple cuts on her when we were in the locker room; I'm worried."

"All right, we'll check it out." Vlad agreed. "I wouldn't put it past him, but first, it's time for some payback!"

"Come on, Maddie, it'll be fun; we already got the stuff!" Jack encouraged with a grin.

"All right, I'll go." Maddie sighed. "Somebody needs to keep you two out of trouble." Inwardly, though, she felt it would be amusing. Her two friends may have been crazy, but they were quite inventive. They walked down the streets until they reached his house. "So what do you have planned?"

"Jack, you mind giving me some help?" Vlad asked, as he was trying to pull himself over the structure above the porch, which was brown and designed to block the sun. Jack picked him up and lifted him to where he could get a decent handhold. Afterwards, Jack tossed his friend a bottle and walkie-talkie.

"This might just be entertaining." Maddie admitted. "Considering what happened a few months ago, I could certainly use a laugh." Her father had tried to kill her a few months ago, but thanks to her self-defense prowess and Vlad's timely intervention, he was taken to jail. They would have to testify, though, in a couple months.

"Hey, Jack, can you hear me?" Vlad asked.

"Reading you loud and clear, buddy," Jack replied over the radio.

"You don't need to use that; I'm 10 feet away." Vlad groaned.

"Gotcha; out," He ended, still on the Walkie-Talkie. Maddie hid behind the bush near the fence, while Jack knocked on the door several times.

After a few seconds, Jack declared: "Okay, V-man, give him the glue!" Vlad took the lid off and squeezed as hard as he could. Most of the glue fell on Rod, although some splashed on the railing and his leather jacket. Jack jumped out and stuck a wig of a woman's hair on top.

Furiously, he tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't budge. Jack and Vlad laughed like maniacs as they ran away, and even Maddie had to admit it was pretty funny. "Hold on just a second." Jack smirked. He stopped and took a couple pictures, but by now, Rod had figured it out and was coming after them.

However, Jack was ready for him and threw him head first into a trash can. "No one messes with Jack Fenton's friends, got it?" The trio sped off, still laughing.

"So what now?" Vlad asked. "There isn't exactly a lot to do around here. Oh, I almost forgot: good job scoring that winning touchdown the other day."

"Yeah, thanks." Jack smiled. He had managed to score a touchdown in the last quarter, which led to a 41-38 victory. "The eagles are victorious again! But don't sell yourself short; I couldn't have done it without you, buddy!"

"Yeah, that was pretty good." Maddie nodded. "I'm not a football fan, but great job out there." She generally stayed in the stands while Jack and Vlad played as quarterback and runningback, respectively.

"Care to play some pool at my house?" Vlad asked Jack and Maddie. "I'm going to kick both your butts!"

"Oh, we'll see about that." Maddie replied. "I'm a girl, but I can play sports just as much as guys. How about you bet 5 bucks? We better do it soon, though, because I've got a sleepover." Jack and Vlad gave each other glances. "No spying on us this time. Nancy just about killed me when she saw your radio in there."

"All right, fine, we won't listen on you." Vlad conceded. _But we will be watching, just in case something happens. It's intrusive, but I don't want to lose you. You and Jack are the only friends I have. _"Now get ready to give me all your money."

Vlad's garage was fairly ordinary for a wealthy person. The pool table was in the middle, complete with balls and cues. Around it were golf clubs and a couple of wet suits. "Okay, let's get it on!" Maddie grinned savagely. She picked the stripes, while Vlad picked the smooth balls.

As far as skill went, they were pretty evenly matched. The game was fairly short; 5 minutes later, Vlad had two balls left and Maddie three. He aimed carefully, judging the angle and let it loose. He knocked one of them into the corner pocket, though he accidentally knocked one of Maddie's inside as well. Vlad took the second shot and managed to get inside, although it was a close call. (I don't know much about pool, so if I made mistakes, please forgive me)

"Okay, Maddie, cough up the green." Vlad held his arm out with a smug look. Grudgingly, she did so, cursing a few times.

"Well, you beat me fair and square." Maddie admitted. She put the cue back in its place and practiced karate moves. Vlad smiled, quietly checking her out, while Jack attempted to do it as well, and ended up falling on his butt. "You need a lot of practice before you can do it, Jack. Vlad, please get your mind out of the gutter." She sounded harsh, but she wasn't really mad.

"He's a guy; you're asking for the impossible." Jack laughed.

"You're impossible, you lunatic." Vlad replied, giving him a friendly elbow to the ribs. "You guys want some Pepsi?" They nodded, although Maddie wanted a Dr. Pibb. "We always have this stuff in the house. It'll probably kill me one day."

"Are you kidding me?" Maddie shook her head. "You could eat 3 pizzas and not gain an ounce. At least you eat politely, unlike someone I know."

"I am wounded!" Jack gasped dramatically, grabbing his chest. "How could my best friends betray me like this?"

"Grow up, you big baby." Maddie snickered, throwing the can at him.

"We're just telling the truth; you do eat like a pig." Vlad added. "You should have gone into theater arts. There were plenty of hot girls in there, especially Nancy."

"Why did I decide to have guy friends?" Maddie groaned, burying her face in her friends.

"Maybe because you're as nutty as we are," Jack grinned, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"'Girl gets comforted by stupid quarterback'." Vlad laughed. "That would be a good yearbook photo. I'm definitely putting that picture of Ron in." He smiled to himself. Most people didn't like him, but as long as he had Jack and Maddie, the rest of the world could go to hell.

They shot the breeze for another couple of hours until Maddie went to her sleepover. After some time had passed, Jack and Vlad followed, carrying a pair of binoculars. They had another prank on Ron planned, and they intended to take the opportunity.

"This is the life, isn't it, Vladdie?" Jack laughed. "We'll stay together, along with Maddie. The odds of us hating each other are about as likely as you getting ghost powers and using them to make yourself rich." Both of them had a good laugh at that. "I intend to be the best man when you marry Maddie!"

"Come on, Jack, she'd never like me; I'm a nerd." Vlad protested. He had pretty much given up on women.

"Don't put yourself down like that." Jack replied sternly. "You'll find some beautiful, psychotic girl to fall in love with and have a bunch of kids."

"I'd probably make a bad role model for them."

"You have a point there." They laughed again. Once it was completely dark, they peeked into the house where everyone was talking. "What's Glen and Rod doing there?"

"I have no idea, Jack." Vlad replied. "Hmm, Maddie did say that Tina was having nightmares. Maybe this is their way to cheer up… and for us to spy on. Come on, give me the binoculars."

"Just hold on." Jack asked, easily holding onto them. "Hmm, it looks like Ron's putting the moves on his girl. Man, those two are the weirdest couple I've ever seen. Wait, Maddie's holding onto Nancy for some reason."

"This is boring; give me those!" He finally managed to pull them away from Jack. He watched as Maddie demonstrated her skill to the others. They were apparently having a good time, while Ron pretended to gag Tina and as far as he could see, they were heading up to her mother's bedroom. "I guess this is their way of making up… well, out, but you get my point."

"Well, we can't hear anything, thankfully. Look; all the others are going to bed as well. It's time to make our move."

"You know this would be considered breaking and entering, right?"

"Rod's macho; he'd never want to admit that a nerd outsmarted…which actually isn't that tough." They slowly moved inside the house. Ever so slowly, Vlad opened the door. Thankfully, it was unlocked. They crawled slowly, not wanting to wake anybody. Now the noises were quite noticeable."

"Morality sucks," Glen complained, rolling on the couch. Jack and Vlad immediately froze, not daring to move. After what seemed an eternity, he started snoring. Jack started moving into the kitchen. Vlad slowly filled bowls up with water, since he was better as stealth than his large friend.

After some effort and heart-pounding, they managed to put Glen and Nancy's hands in the water. "You do the honors." Jack whispered next to Vlad's ear. "He beat you up, so it's yours." Vlad nodded and crawled on his belly. He filled up another bowl of water, and ever so slowly, moved up the stairs.

Every time the stairs creaked, Vlad froze, hardly daring to breathe. However, everyone stayed fast asleep. _Reminds me a little of the telltale heart "The clock's hands moved faster than mine." _At last, he got near the bed.

He was just about to open the door when he heard Tina screaming. Vlad considered running like hell, but it wouldn't do any good anyway. He didn't hear any cursing, just screaming, as if she were in pain. Hesitantly, he opened the door, not knowing what he would find.

Nothing Vlad had ever seen prepared him for this. Rod was in the corner, half-naked, staring in pure shock and helplessness. All he could get out was "Tina!" But that was nothing compared to what Vlad saw next. Tina was literally floating in the air, screaming and struggling against something he couldn't see.

Rod turned around and noticed Vlad. "What the hell are you…" but he was cut off but a blood-chilling scream from Tina's direction. Vlad briefly saw a image of 4 knives before they raked across Tina's chest, covering her with blood. He felt utterly helpless and couldn't do anything but watch with his mouth wide open. She kept screaming for a few more seconds before she fell on the bed, obviously murdered.

Rod and Vlad gave each other identical looks of shock and horror.

In all honesty, I've always wondered what Jack, Vlad, and Maddie would do if confronted by Fred Krueger. I was originally going to have him face Plasmius, but decided that it wouldn't be too much of a fight. Therefore, I decided to have them as teenagers in Springwood and at the same time explain where their ghost obsession came from.

Also, if my story sucks, at least give me a reason so I can improve it. As always please read and review!


	2. Accusations

Well, I don't have too much to say this time, except for: those of you who reviewed, please review again. It gives me motivation to continue.

Rod and Vlad were still staring in shock about what happened to Tina. Nancy and Maddie ran up the stairs, looking at the scene. Both of them were furious because they had wet their nightgowns, due to Jack and Vlad's prank. Rod ran out the window, promising revenge.

"What… what the hell did you do?" Nancy demanded, looking at her friend's body. Maddie stood beside her in shock, while Glen put his arms around both of them.

"Ha, ha, we sure got them good, didn't… we?" Jack stopped talking at the sight. He pushed past Nancy and looked at Tina. "Oh, God, how did this happen?

"Ask him!" Glen demanded angrily, pointing towards Vlad.

"What happened, Vlad?" Maddie asked as calmly as she could. It looked bad, but she didn't want to believe that her friend was a murderer.

"I saw it." Vlad managed to gasp out. "I saw it!"

"What is it, V-man?" Jack wondered, kneeling beside him. "Who did this? We'll get him."

"I don't know, goddamnit; I saw something." Vlad replied, taking deep breaths. "Maybe I was just… imagining things."

"Just tell us; we're listening." Maddie encouraged.

"I saw…a hand with four blades. It was only for a second. She was thrown around the room, but… nothing was there. This can't be happening… it can't be!"

"You did it, motherfucker!" Glen exclaimed, punching Vlad across the jaw. His hand hurt, but he didn't care at the moment. "Why did you do that to Tina, huh? What did she do to you?"

"Back up, punk!" Jack demanded, throwing him to the ground. "Vladdie says he didn't do it and I believe him! This must be the work of… a ghost! My dad was right all along."

"Yeah, sure, an angry ghost wanting revenge cut Tina to pieces." Nancy replied sardonically. "That's about as likely as Vlad becoming filthy rich, and holding the world hostage!"

"Hold on, there are some things that don't make sense." Maddie pointed out. "Why are their bloody handprints on the wall? How could Vlad carry her up there without anything to stand on? He doesn't have that kind of strength."

"Vlad, we've got to get you out of here or you'll go crazy." Jack stated, looking unnaturally serious. "Please, we can find out the truth."

Vlad burst out laughing, clutching his side. A casual observer would think his laughter was from humor, not disbelief, but Jack knew better. "Yeah, like someone's going to believe someone invisible with knives for fingers cut her up. Oh no, I think I'm…" Vlad threw up on the floor, and started crying. True, the others saw Tina's body, but he was forced to watch as she was cut to pieces. _Maybe I did kill her. After all, how can someone get in this room with the window on the second floor and me near the door without somebody seeing him? _Vlad ran off, not able to take the sight any more. Jack and Maddie ran after him, not wanting to leave him alone.

"You've got to know something." Maddie demanded after Jack caught Vlad and hoisted him over his shoulder. She was going to slap Vlad for the prank he pulled, but what happened put any thoughts of revenge out of her mind.

"All I know is that she was twisting and turning and then 4 knives sliced into her at the same time." Vlad replied, looking about ready to throw up again. "The odd thing was… I think she was still asleep. Nothing could have slept through that kind of pain, not through something like that."

"Come on, we better get to my house." Jack suggested. "My dad will have a better idea of what to do than I do." They ran to Jack's house, while Vlad wondered how Jack had enough strength to run while carrying him. Before long, they arrived at his house and walked inside.

"I know you're 18, Jack, but I'd appreciate it if you told me where you were going." Mr. Fenton was in his late 40's with graying hair, but was still in good shape and had a look about him which said you did not want him as an enemy. "Oh, my, what happened here?" He looked at the blood-soaked shirt that Vlad wore.

"You were right all along, dad: ghosts do exist." Jack panted from carrying his friend. "A girl was murdered about an hour ago. Vlad saw it."

"Okay, son, what did you see?" Mr. Fenton asked. "Ecto-detectors are primitive, but I'll do my best. Out with it, son."

"I only saw his hand for a second; he attacked her with four knives." Vlad replied, struggling to keep his composure. "They were… almost like claws. I wish I could have done something, but… I couldn't even see it! I don't want to say any more!" (Remember, this isn't the Vlad we know; he's not used to these kinds of things)

"The police will think he did it." Maddie warned. "We might want to get out of here. Do you know any way to fight them?" She still wasn't completely convinced that it was a ghost, but there was no way Vlad could have done something like that. Besides, even if he had wanted to, Ron would have stopped him. Whatever else she could say about him, he did care about Tina.

"The only thing I can think of is fire; projectiles won't do anything to it." Mr. Fenton informed. "Fire's made of energy, so they can't faze through. Get yourselves some sleep. We'll be able to do more in the morning." He pocketed a .45 pistol and lied down in his chair.

"Why does he always carry a gun?" Vlad asked, trying to take his mind of it.

"He fought in Vietnam as a commander." Jack explained. "He doesn't talk about it, but what he saw, along with the country hating him when he came home… he's never fully recovered from it." Vlad couldn't take it any more and started to cry.

"Shh, I'm here, I'm here." Maddie soothed, hugging him gently. His face was on her chest, and while other girls may have interpreted that as an attempt, the trio was close enough not to let it bother them. Jack wrapped his arms around both of them, careful not to crush them.

None of them knew how much time passed before they heard sirens. "Give yourself up, Masters, or we open fire!" Lt. Thompson exclaimed over the loudspeaker.

"Don't do it; you're innocent!" Jack protested. His father had gotten up, firing his gun at whom he called "Vietcong son of bitches!" Unfortunately, that made it worse as the police broke into the house, guns up and aiming at the trio.

"Hands in the air! Hands in the air!" One of them demanded. "You think we're playing?!" Reluctantly, Vlad raised his hands. "Vlad Masters, you are under arrest for the murder of Tina Grey. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights, Mr. Masters?"

"He didn't do it!" Maddie exclaimed, trying to find a way to get him free. But the officers ignored her and shoved Vlad into a police car.

It didn't take long to get to the police station, where Nancy and Glen were being questioned. Vlad groaned, knowing there was no way anyone was going to believe him. He kept his head down, not wanting to make this worse for himself. He was shoved in a jail cell the instant they took the cuffs off.

Vlad stayed there for hours, just thinking about everything that had happened to him. _Okay, if he's a ghost and we can't see him, how can we find him? However, why didn't he attack me or Ron? There wasn't anything we could have done to stop him. Tina was asleep… there's something I'm missing but I can't put my finger on it. _

Before long, he fell asleep and found himself in his cell, but with the door open. Vlad found it strangely deserted, and looked around cautiously. "This is weird." Vlad muttered. "There's no sign of anyone. They wouldn't leave a prisoner alone, especially not with the door open. I better watch my back."

"You're right about that, boy." A man started laughing. Vlad looked him over, ready to run at a moment's notice. He had a red and green shirt, a hat, and knives for fingers. "I'm afraid you're next. This'll be as fun as killing that bitch."

Vlad sprinted away, not daring to look back. He ran into the forest, only to slam into somebody. "You can't hide from Freddy, V-man." Krueger chuckled. Vlad rolled to the side as he tried to stab him with his knives. He kicked him the side as hard as he could, taking the opportunity to run away.

For once, he was at a loss. His opponent didn't look like the kind of guy he could fight, while running didn't do any good, either. He screamed in pain as the back of his leg was slashed. Vlad kicked him in the stomach, breaking 

away from his grip, but now his right leg severely hampered any attempt to run.

Freddy grabbed him by the neck, squeezing the life out of him. Vlad grabbed onto the arm with the knives with both hands, trying desperately to stay alive. Forcing himself to push through the pain, Vlad swung himself up and kicked Freddy across the jaw. It ripped skin, but didn't loosen his grip. "I've got the perfect ides for you." Freddy grinned. Vlad found himself being dragged back to the police station, where Freddy grabbed a sheet and made a rope out of it. "This way, it'll look like you committed suicide." Vlad bit his hand, drawing blood. It was sickening, but he didn't see any other options.

Vlad woke up in his cell, sweating everywhere.

XXXXXX

It was a sad day for Jack and Maddie. Almost everyone believed Vlad was guilty and no one bothered to keep their mouths shut. Once school was over, they marched over to Nancy and Glen, glaring furiously. "How could you do this to him?" Jack demanded. "Vlad's a good man and you locked him up."

"We saw him there, near Tina." Glen argued. "How did she die, then? Did someone in her dreams slice her open? Don't give me any supernatural bullshit."

"What about Rod?" Maddie asked. "He's got a reputation and you're leaving out that possibility as well. Why would Vlad do that? He barely even knew Tina."

"I have no idea, but we found him covered in blood." Nancy replied. "I didn't think he could do it, either, but what other explanation is there?" Jack and Maddie couldn't think of one, but they were determined to defend their friend's innocence.

"See? Now that you're actually thinking, you realize the truth." Glen glared. "Vlad is a murderer, as much as you don't want to admit it. You're his friends, so you're hardly an objective party." Jack glared, raising his fist. Maddie normally calmed him down, but this time, she was just about ready to hit him as well.

"He's innocent; I know it." A quiet voice said behind them. Rod walked next to Nancy and continued. "I know it sounds completely crazy, but what Vlad said is true; I saw it as well. Never thought I'd defend that snobbish prick, but he is innocent. I never thought something like this would be possible."

"You see? Even his enemy agrees with us." Maddie smirked. "If you help us, you can find some proof." Maddie rushed to a pay phone, and dialed the police station. She asked for Vlad and eventually got through.

"Maddie, I'm glad I can talk to you." Vlad declared. "This thing kills in our dreams. I didn't think it was possible until he tried to kill me last night! Calls himself Freddy; does it ring a bell?"

"No, I never heard of him." She replied, confused.

"Well, he wears a green hat, a red and green shirt, and has knives for fingers. This is probably the ugliest son of a bitch I have ever seen." Maddie told the rest of them Vlad's description.

"Oh my god, I saw him when I dozed off in English class." Nancy remembered. She showed them a burn on her arm. "Maybe he's right after all."

"That's what we've been trying to tell you!" Jack exclaimed.

"Vlad, are you going to be able to get out?" Maddie wondered.

"My dad hired some smooth-talking lawyer from out of town; he's working on it right now." Vlad admitted. "I won't get my hopes up, though. I may be innocent, but the public won't care. After a crime like this, all they want is blood. I'll take to you again… if I ever get out of here." He hung up.

"Okay, he's a guy that kills people in their dreams." Glen stated. "What exactly can we do about it? How can we go sleep and wake up alive?"

"There's got to be something we can do." Jack assured. "Vlad fought him and woke up alive, so obviously it's possible."

"When I fall asleep, I'll kick that fucker's ass." Rod promised. "He killed Tina and now he's going to pay."

"Let's not be too hasty here." Nancy warned. "Before we do anything, I'd like to know what we're dealing with."

"Good idea." Maddie agreed. "Let's go home for now, and decide on our next course of action." She and Jack walked away from them. "I'd go to the library, but I doubt we're going to find anything about him."

"Wait, didn't V-man say his name?" Jack asked. "He said that the guy's name was Freddy. It's certainly a place to start."

"Sure, it's not like we have any other leads to go on." They arrived at the library and looked through the books. There was a row of them that listed criminals and as Maddie put it: "He's probably some psycho getting revenge from beyond the grave."

However, they did not know what his last name was, so the search took hours. "Hey, Maddie, take a look at this. You think this could be our guy?" She took the book from him and began to read.

"'Fred Krueger, better known as the Springwood Slasher, was responsible for the largest murder spree the country had known for over 30 years. He was known for bringing children ages 7 to 11 into the boiler room where he worked. When the police found the bodies, there was evidence of rape and severe mutilation. Perhaps the most well-known part of the killing spree was that he used four knives, almost as fingers.

"'For almost a year, police were baffled. However, one girl managed to escape from him and gave a description to the police. Although she died of infection, she gave enough evidence to label Krueger as a suspect. They questioned Krueger, and discovered that his alibi did not hold up. Upon getting a search warrant for his home and workplace, they found blood, knives, fingerprints, and human remains.

"'However, because the search warrant was improperly signed, the judge was forced to let him go. Two days later, a fire started at the Krueger residence, where it is believed that he burned alive. There was no question that it was deliberately set, but the one responsible remains a mystery.'" From there, it lists some random details about who the victims were and a biography of Krueger."

"No wonder someone killed him." Jack shook his head. "For him to molest and butcher 20 children and get away… I can only imagine how the parents must have felt about his release. Perhaps he's come back to finish what he started."

"I'm not looking forward to facing this guy. He's not the type that will show any mercy. We don't even know how to fight him."

"Still, we now know something about him; it's a start." Jack and Maddie left the library, noticing it was almost dark outside. "Let's go visit Vlad. He'll need to know this as well." They walked towards the police station, hoping they would be allowed in.

"He'll probably go after Vlad." Jack worried. "He's got to sleep sooner or later. Let's just hope it's not too late." After hearing that, both of them broke into a run. Once they arrived, both of them were panting hard.

"Can I help you?" an obviously annoyed policeman asked.

"Yes, we'd like to see Vlad." Maddie demanded, cutting to the chase. "He's our friend, and we've learned something he needs to know." A scream cut off their arguments. Both of them rushed towards the sound. Vlad was struggling with a sheet around his neck. He tried to tear it up, but the knot was firm.

"Vlad!" Jack screamed, pulling the sheet with all his might. He felt a force pulling back, almost knocking him off his feet. "Maddie, a little help here!" She grabbed on as well. Vlad woke up, realizing his position. He gasped in fear, hoping his friends would be able to save him.

Slowly, he was being pulled down. Now that he was awake, they managed to pull him away. "Thanks, guys." He smiled, hugging them both. "I tried to fight him, but he was too strong. I thought I was done for." He looked at the officer, and lifted his shirt, revealing 4 cuts across his torso. "You still think I'm making this up?!"

"There's no way it could have happened here." Maddie explained. "Nothing in that cell could have cut him like that. Look, they're symmetrical as if he was attacked by claws." The officer was wide-eyed, almost unable to speak.

"Okay, okay, you're free to go for now." He informed. "Just don't forget you've got an arraignment tomorrow. I must be nuts agreeing to this."

"Did you hear that?" Vlad asked Jack and Maddie. "I thought I heard some huge sighs of relief. I swear, this is getting weirder by the minute."

"It's probably nothing." Jack reassured. "Come on, we have to prepare ourselves. We've got some information for you."

Yeah, now things are starting to heat up. I don't want this to be exactly like the movie, especially since it focuses more on the DP characters than the movie ones. It's been hard, but this is fun to write.


	3. Preparations

This is where it truly divides from the movie, making it almost original. Keep in mind that I may not get all the details exactly right, but I'll do my best.

"So you're telling me that our enemy is a crazy child killer from beyond the grave?" Vlad groaned. "Well, that's wonderful. I wonder why he hasn't gone after you two, though." They were sitting in Jack's house, explaining everything they learned to Vlad.

"I have no idea." Maddie replied. "We better not count on that forever. At least it's a weekend. As soon as we can, we better talk to Nancy. She needs to know this."

"Yeah, then we get to kick some ghost butt!" Jack laughed. "We'll teach him to mess with our town!"

"Let's get some sleep, but one of us stays awake in case we get in trouble." Vlad suggested. "I'll go first, since I can't get any sleep anyway."

Jack fell asleep on the coach. His dad gave the chair to Maddie, wishing them good luck. Vlad watched them carefully, not wanting them to suffer as he did. His injuries still twinged from the memory. That is, until his ears screamed in protest because of Jack's snoring.

He didn't know how much time has passed, but decided to let them sleep. Vlad was tired as well, but his body wouldn't let him close his eyes, as if it knew what would happen if he did. He turned on the light and started reading "20,000 leagues under the sea." He was immersed in the book, but still occasionally checked to see if his friends were in any trouble.

The sun slowly rose up and his friends were still sleeping. However, Jack started twitching and sweating. Worried, Vlad shook him, but he wouldn't wake up. Deciding not to waste time, he poured water on his face.

"Hey, V-man, what was that for?" Jack asked groggily. "Is it my turn to stay up?"

"No, Jack, it's morning." Vlad explained. "I thought Freddy was attacking you, but it looks like I was wrong."

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Vlad shook his head. "You need to sleep, V-man, or you'll go crazy."

"I can't sleep; I'm afraid I'll never wake up. After I fought that thing… I thought I was going to die. That's not something you get over in a hurry. Oh, crud, I have an arraignment hearing. Better get back to my cell before they think I've escaped." _I can't believe I'm going back, but I don't want to get in more trouble. That cop let me up, so I guess I'll cover for him as well. _Vlad ran out the door, groaning when he heard Jack fall asleep again. He ran towards the station, hoping no one would notice.

What he found was horrifying. He saw the officer hanging from a sheet, blood all over his body. (I'd go into more detail, but I'm trying to keep it a "T") Vlad shivered, wondering why he was targeted. _Maybe our unfriendly specter wanted to make sure there were no witnesses to prove I'm innocent. Great, I'll probably get blamed for this too. _

He got into his cell just in time. Lt. Thompson walked in and almost stopped dead at the sight of it. "What the hell happened here?"

"I don't know." Vlad lied fearfully. He knew damn well what has happened: Krueger had killed him to make sure no one would know he was around. Hopefully, the blame wouldn't be on his shoulders.

"You're lying to me." Thompson snapped. "Tell me what you know about this." He looked at Vlad very intently, suspecting him of the latest killing.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Vlad laughed; that was a major understatement of the year. "You'd just lock me in a mental hospital, not that it 

could be much worse than here." With unnecessary force, Thompson dragged him into the police car for his arraignment hearing. _You're responsible for this, and I'm going to prove it. _His eyes told Vlad.

Once he arrived in the courtroom next to his parents, he sat in the defendant's chair with his lawyer to the right. "Docket 5913: People of Springwood vs. Vlad Masters: the charge is murder in the second degree."

"How does the defendant plead?" The judge asked.

"I plead not guilty." Vlad replied before his lawyer could answer. _You'll pay for this, and pay dearly. My friends have suffered at your hands, you framed me for murder, and then you tried to kill me. When this is over, you will die one way or another. _(Yep, he's angry even at this age; just not at his friends)

"People on bail?"

"The people request that he be remanded." The prosecutor declared. "Mr. Masters was present at the scene of the crime, we have a strong case, and the defendant has more than enough resources to flee the country."

"Your honor, my clients has strong ties to the community." His lawyer argued. "His friends and family are here, and they are as anxious to prove his innocence as we are. He is not a flight risk."

"Save the arguments for the trial." The judge sighed. "Bail is set at 400,000; next case."

"We'll pay it within the hour." His father promised. His family was the wealthiest one in Springwood, but even for them, 400,000 wasn't exactly a drop in the bucket.

"Are you sure you can do it?" Vlad asked.

"It was better than I expected, to tell you the truth." Mr. Masters replied. He was a man of about 50, although his hair was almost pure white, and wore 

his typical business suit. Despite his appearance, he did not look down on average people, since he was one himself as a child. "All right, let's go home. You have some explaining to do. For starters, what the heck is going on? Did the police beat you in that cell? If they did, so help me God…"

"It's more complicated than that." Vlad replied. "I don't think you'll believe me if I tell you." They stayed silent until they got home, where they locked the door and his father demanded an answer.

"Sweetie, just tell us, please." His mother pleaded. She was about 10 years younger than her husband with red hair and was somewhat plump. "We're trying to help you."

"It's Krueger; he's back." Vlad gasped out. It was a long shot, but what else could he do? "He killed Tina, and would have killed me if Jack and Maddie hadn't gotten there in time."

"I knew there was a reason I liked them." Mr. Masters smiled. "Son, how can this be true? Fred Krueger has been dead for almost 10 years."

"Okay, then tell me who else has knives for fingers, a worn hat, red and green stripes on his shirt because I can't think of anyone else!"

"Son, there's something we should have told you a long time ago."

XXXXX

"From the sounds of it, your mother definitely knows something." Maddie told Nancy a few hours later. "Can she think of any other reason why you grabbed a hat out of a dream?"

"She won't talk to me about it." Nancy shook her hand.

"She's covering something up, I know it." Rod snarled. "The question is what?"

"We did some digging of our own and this guy is definitely real." Jack informed. "He slaughtered a bunch of children and got off because some idiot didn't sign the search warrant properly. He died in a fire a short time afterwards; they never did find out who was responsible for it; Probably didn't even look. Now he's a ghost and killing us in our dreams, but I have no idea why."

"Well, I don't really care." Rod declared. "I'm all for killing this goddamn son of a bitch right now. He killed Tina and he's gonna pay!"

"You really did care about Tina." Nancy said softly.

"Of course I did!" Rod exclaimed, as if he couldn't believe anyone would think otherwise."We may not have always gotten along, but I loved her. I'm even working with them, even though it took me over 2 hours to get that wig off." Jack and Maddie chuckled at that.

"So what do we do?" Glen asked. "I doubt an exorcism is going to work."

"Of course; what do you think this is, some cheap horror movie?" Maddie looked at him. "He can be fought, although it's far from easy. Otherwise, Vlad would be long dead. Still, he hasn't gone after me and Jack, which is weird."

"Well, then I have some information for you." Vlad panted, running up to them. "It took me forever to find you guys. Apparently all the parents banded together and burned him alive. That explains why he hasn't gone after Maddie or Jack: I'm one of the children of the mob, and so is Nancy, Rod, and Glen."

"It'd been nice if that alcoholic bitch had told us that, rather than letting us believe we were going crazy." Rod muttered. Nancy slapped him, but he ignored it. "Any ideas?"

"Well, I'm afraid not." Vlad admitted. "It's going to be hard enough just surviving this, much less stopping him."

"We've got to do something!" Jack exclaimed.

"Maybe… maybe I can fall asleep and drag him out in the open." Nancy suggested. "Then you guys whack him."

"That's not a bad idea." Glen smiled, kissing Nancy.

"It's not like anyone has any better ideas." Maddie nodded. "We're going to have to do this carefully, though. If it fails, Nancy will die too. I don't really want her going in there alone."

"Then I'll go with her." Rod volunteered. "God knows I owe that son of a bitch a great deal."

"I'll go too." Vlad seconded. "He killed my big sister when he was alive. Now it's his turn." _I just wish I remembered more about her, but that doesn't matter. He is going to pay._

"That's assuming any of us can go to sleep." Jack sighed. "Nancy hasn't slept in 2 days and after all of this, I don't think any of us will be able to sleep."

"We'd better prepare ourselves." Vlad added. "We have one chance at this, and I don't intend to waste it. By the way, Rod, I suggest you keep your eyes off Nancy's chest or you'll make her very angry. Believe me, that's not a good idea." _And at the same time, make him suffer a little as well. I can't confirm it, but Nancy doesn't need to know that. As long as they are divided, I'm free from his ridicule. _

"You really shouldn't have said that." Maddie scolded.

"I know; it was just funny." Vlad chuckled. "There's only so long we can go without sleep, so I suggest we stick to our usual pattern. You can stay at my place for a few days; my parents like you guys."

"What about Rod, Nancy, and Glen?" Jack asked. "They don't usually stay together, and I doubt any of the parents are going to believe us. They're the ones I worry about."

"So do I; I hate having this kind of responsibility." Vlad complained. "None of us have any real choice, though."

"Actually we do: we can fight or we can run." Maddie replied. "I won't run from anyone ever again."

"I'll be right beside you." Vlad promised. "It'd be nice if we knew how to fight him, but we don't have time."

"Use what time we have and go to our normal routine." Jack suggested. His friends nodded, trying to think of ways to destroy their supernatural enemy.

XXXXX

The days passed and Krueger did whatever he could to destroy Vlad. Thankfully, he was always woken up before he could finish him. He had learned that the only reason Nancy had not been attacked was because she had been awake for the past 7 days.

"We can't hold this off any longer." Jack stated with determination. "If Freddy doesn't kill her, the lack of sleep will." The phone rang, which Vlad immediately picked up.

"Is that you, Vlad?" Nancy asked over the phone.

"Yeah, it's me." Vlad replied. "We're ready to take Krueger down; just say the word."

"Thank you, because I don't know how long I can do this." Nancy sighed. "My mom told me about him, but she keeps insisting he's dead. Glen doesn't seem to believe me, either; you've got to help!"

"We'll get there as soon as we can. You got any kind of plan in mind?"

"Yes; when I go to asleep, wake me up once I get a hold of him and whack the fucker. Glen's parents cut me off and disconnected the phone. Now you're the only one I can ask."

"Not bad, but I don't like the idea of you going in there alone. I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not."

"You always were crazy, Vlad." Nancy chuckled. "But I appreciate the help. Just get over here now. We have to do this together. Get away, Krueger! NO!! NO!!" There was a dial tone.

"Let's go!" Maddie nodded. "I don't know what happened, but if we're on our own, so be it. Jack, get Ron and head over there. Me and Vlad will hold the fort until you get there. Just don't waste any time!"

"Wait, just a second!" Jack exclaimed, running into the basement. He came out with a baseball bat. "This ought to give him something to think about. Just wait until he feels the wrath of the 'Fenton anti-creep' stick!"

Maddie grabbed a quarterstaff, while Vlad managed to find a .44 Magnum. "You better hope nobody sees you with that." Maddie remarked, but he didn't care at the moment. He pocketed it, and they ran out of the house. Maddie sprinted, while Vlad struggled to keep up.

After several minutes, they arrived at her house. Vlad wondered how to get in without alerting her parents, until he saw something they could use as a ladder. He climbed first, nearing falling off. He knocked on Nancy's window, hoping he wouldn't be thrown back in jail for this.

"Glen? Oh, it's you." Nancy sighed. "I guess I should be glad you're here, but I wish I could get through to Glen. I think his parents disconnected the phone."

"They'll get us all killed." Vlad muttered, climbing in. Maddie followed a few seconds after, still holding her quarterstaff. "So do we have any other plans?"

"Yeah, I've got idea for a few booby traps." Nancy answered. "Now all I have to do is fall asleep and drag him out."

"I still wish we didn't have to do this." Maddie remarked. "Unfortunately, we've run out of time. I'll help you set the traps up. Sorry, Vlad, but you're not very good at that."

"Yes, I know." Vlad sighed. "I just hope Jack and Rod get here in time." _Even if they do, I'm still not sure we can beat Krueger, but I'm not going down without a fight. He will pay for what he's done to all of us._

The phone started ringing; Maddie was about to answer it, but noticed something. "How can that thing ring if it's unplugged? Unless… Nancy, get away!"

But she had already answered the phone. They heard some laughing on the other line. "Time for your dear boyfriend to die, Nancy," Krueger laughed. A tongue slithered out of the phone. Nancy screamed and threw the phone on the ground, stomping it repeatedly. (Sorry if I didn't get it exactly right, but I've only seen the movie a few times.)

"It's Glen; we've got to go!" Nancy screamed. Bewildered, Vlad and Maddie followed. They ran down the stairs, only to find that the door was locked.

"It's locked." Her mother told her, lying on the couch. "I locked everything up; you are going to get some sleep tonight if it kills me. And what are they doing here? I'm calling the police!"

"Go ahead and try; the phone's been disconnected." Vlad sneered. It was only true of Nancy's phone, but her mother didn't need to know that. "Look, Glen's in danger, so give us the damn key!"

"I don't even have it on me." She protested, lifting the sleeves of her nightgown. "Now get some sleep." Nancy angrily hit the couch and tried to break the lock. Maddie pushed her aside and repeatedly kicked the door, but it was no use.

Vlad ripped open the curtains, raising the window. He gasped at what he saw. Maddie and Nancy looked outside, trying to get his attention. They saw a huge uproar of blood, almost as if it was from a geyser. It lasted for almost 15 seconds until it finally ended.

"He's… gone." Vlad managed to stammer out. Nancy cried, while Maddie did her best to comfort her. He couldn't feel much sadness, since he didn't know Glen very well, and he had gotten accustomed to death over the years.

They retreated to Nancy's room, trying to decide what to do next. Before long, police cars and ambulances started arriving."They're probably going to blame me for this," Vlad muttered. Nancy ran down to the dining room and called her father. Vlad rolled his eyes, doubting they would get any help from him, but followed anyway.

"Hello, Nancy." He greeted

"Hi, daddy. I know what happened." She replied

"Then you know more than I do --I haven't even been upstairs."

"You know he's dead though, right?"

"He'd better, unless he's a complete idiot." Vlad laughed. "Of course, it wouldn't surprise me that much

"Yeah, apparently he's dead. How the hell'd you know?" The officer asked

"I've got a proposition for you." Nancy added. "Listen very carefully, please."

"Nan, I –"

"How about you just listen for once?" Vlad snapped. "Someone's trying to kill us too, so stop lecturing and start listen…" Nancy punched him in the arm.

"Please. I'm gonna go get the guy who did it and bring him to you." "Nancy pleaded. I just need you be right there to arrest him. Okay?"

"Just tell me who did it and I'll go get him, baby. This town has seen enough, especially with Garcia, Tina, and now this."

"Fred Krueger did it, Daddy, and only I can get him. It's my nightmare he comes to."

"Where'd you hear about Krueger…?"

"I want you to come over here and break the door down exactly twenty minutes from now – can you do that?"

"Sure, but..."

"That'll be exactly half past midnight. Time for me to fall asleep and find him."

Sure, sure, honey. You just do that -- get yourself some sleep -- that's what I've been saying all along."

"And you'll be here to catch him, right?"

"Lieutenant, they're waiting upstairs." One of the other officers informed.

"Sure, okay, I'll be there. Now you just turn in and get some rest, sweetheart. Please. Deal?

Deal.

"And I suggest you take this seriously, or you'll find our dead, mutilated bodies in the room." Vlad added, still not inclined to count on him.

"Masters, what are you doing there?" Lt. Thompson demanded. "If you've hurt my daughter, I swear to god…"

"I haven't done anything!" Vlad exclaimed, grabbing the phone from Nancy. "You're the problem because you don't listen to us! I'm trying to protect her, because he's after me too. Krueger would have killed me of my friends hadn't woken me up. So do it or we'll all be dead!"

"I'm getting tired of your threats, Mas…"

"And I'm tired of having to hammer this through your thick skull; just get over here!"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that! Now get out of my house before I…" Vlad slammed the phone down.

"We better do this thing." Maddie declared, coming down the stairs to see what all the shouting was about. Vlad and Nancy nodded grimly.


	4. Into the abyss

Wow, it's been longer than I thought, which is why I'm not making this a real long story. I am hoping to resolve the first film's ending, which is the one thing I hated about it.

Vlad watched as Nancy and Maddie set up various traps around the house. Much as he wished he could help, hand-eye coordination was not one of his skills. He held his gun nervously, trying to control his fear. He enjoyed reading novels about people in this situation, but it wasn't the same when it happened to you.

"So how long will it take for Jack and Ron to arrive?" Nancy asked as she drilled a small hole in a lightbulb.

"Hopefully, it won't be long, but you know Jack's sense of direction." Maddie replied. "Okay, this should be the last trap. Just be careful and pour it in slowly." Nancy rolled her eyes, but knew Maddie had a point. "Yes, we're done."

"Nancy, I'm coming with you into the dream." Vlad declared.

"Are you crazy?" Nancy demanded. "You and the others have to be able to wake me up when I get a hold of him."

"You're not going in there alone." Vlad ordered. "I owe this son of a bitch- least my parents didn't hear that- and I will make him pay, whether you cooperate or not."

"He's got a good argument." Maddie admitted. "It's dangerous if you go in there alone. We have one chance to take him out; that's it." Nancy reluctantly nodded, and they went up into her room, trying not to wake her mother.

_Stupid alcoholic bitch, _Vlad thought to himself. _Well, at least she was too drunk to remember that we were here. Sigh, it's now or never. _Nancy and Vlad 

lied down on the bed. Vlad started chuckling to himself. "What's so funny?" Nancy asked.

"I was just thinking what my classmates would say if they saw this." Vlad admitted. "'You're in bed with a pretty girl and you're not making a move! What are you, gay?'" Nancy and Maddie gave him strange looks, but joking in serious situations was the only way he could hold himself together. It didn't take long for both of them to fall asleep. _I hope they get here in time _was his last thought.

He and Nancy showed up in the basement, looking around. Sure enough, the stairway to the boiler was not far. They held hands and went in, wary of any traps that Krueger would likely have. Vlad found a ladder, which undoubtedly led to where Krueger was.

"I don't know about you, but I feel like a complete idiot." Vlad sighed.

"It's got to be done." Nancy replied, climbing down. Vlad followed, keeping a wary eye. "Krueger, I'm here!" Vlad nearly grabbed her mouth before he remembered that this was part of the plan.

"This place is hotter than my dad's bedroom, and that's saying something." Vlad shook his head. They continued walking until they entered one of the rooms. Nancy looked around and saw a bed which looked like Glen's. She felt under the sheets and picked up a crucifix, carrying it in her right hand. "I don't think that's going to help."

Vlad spun around, thinking he heard something. _Is he there? I can't see him. _He looked around for any sign of Krueger, and could have sworn he saw knives, but he didn't find anything. _I must be jumping at shadows but I swear I could have seen his knives. _"Come on, Vlad, let's move." Nancy encouraged. He nodded and they continued through the area.

It wasn't long before they found another sign.

XXXXXX

"Are you sure you shouldn't have waited for me?" Rod panted as he and Jack ran to the Thompson house. "I mean, Glen at least might have suggested patience."

"Nancy's hoping to get him out of her dreams and into the real world, where we can fight him." Jack replied, just as exhausted.

"Good; he killed Tina and now he's going to pay. Hey, what the hell?" He stopped and saw police cars and an ambulance outside of Glen's house. Jack stopped as well and stared in shock. They looked at each other grimly; there was only one thing that could mean. "Poor Nancy; this is going to be real tough on her. Come on, we better hurry."

One of the officers stopped the duo, demanding to know what they were doing. "It's a long story, and we don't have time to explain." Jack exclaimed, running to the Thompson house and climbing up the grapevine. Ron followed, although he almost lost his grip.

"Stop right there; you're under arrest!" The officer demanded.

"Go to hell, you pig bastard." Rod snapped before climbing into Nancy's room. Maddie was pacing the room nervously, while Vlad and Nancy were asleep. They were sweating, but showing no obvious signs of pain.

"Vlad insisted on going with her." Maddie explained. "We don't have much time before the alarm goes off. Glen's dead."

"Yeah, I didn't think all the pigs there were having a party." Rod snapped. He took out a pair of switchblades. "They'll be here quite soon; most likely, we'll go to prison for breaking and entering. So be it; if I avenge Tina, they can do whatever they want to me."

"This could work to our advantage." Maddie added. "If they see Krueger, they'll know it was him all along."

"I don't think they can handle him if he comes out." Jack admitted. "We probably won't, either, but we have to try. 5 minutes until we know, one way or the other,"

XXXXX

Nancy stood there, a couple of silent tears trailing down her cheek. She held Glen's earphones, or what was left of them, while Vlad watched silently. He did not know what to say to make her feel any better. After a few seconds, she managed to compose herself. "Come out and show yourself, you bastard!" Nancy screamed.

"Hiding behind stupid tricks, Freddy?" Vlad added. "Well, you are a wimp!" Krueger appeared, slashing Vlad's chest. He kicked him in the shin and started running down the spiral staircase. Nancy followed, taunting Krueger as well. He growled furiously and ran after them. "Not so easy when we can fight back, is it?"

Before they knew it, there were no more stairs, and Krueger was close behind them. Not having any other choice, they jumped under the pipe and ended up in the front yard. Neither of them believed they were out of the dream, though. "Oh, no, only 30 seconds," Nancy muttered. Krueger appeared, sounding feral.

"You two are mine." He grinned. (Hey, I don't want this to be a carbon copy of the movie) Instead of running, Nancy jumped on top of him, while Vlad added insult to injury by kicking him in the face. Before they knew it, the alarm went off and they found themselves still on the bed.

"Oh, no, I really am crazy." Nancy moaned, as she didn't see Krueger.

"You're under the impression this is something new?" Vlad quipped. "Look out!" They were barely able to get away from his knives. Jack punched him in the back of the head, while Ron buried his switchblades in his back. He 

roared, catching Maddie in the leg. Jack hit him twice in the face, but the only thing it did was anger Krueger. Vlad grabbed a textbook and repeatedly bashed him over the head. "Nice to know English class is good for something."

Krueger threw them all aside and advanced on Nancy. Groaning, Maddie grabbed the quarterstaff and swung it as hard as she could. It wasn't a direct blow, but it gave Nancy time to get away. Rod took the offensive, swinging his switchblades wildly. One of them buried itself into Krueger's chest, and he backhanded him in retaliation. He tried to use the hand with the knives, but Jack and Maddie grabbed onto him with all their strength. Vlad kicked him across the jaw, sending him into the window.

"Daddy, he's in here!" Nancy screamed, but she got no response. Rod screamed as Krueger stabbed him in the gut. "Move, now!" Maddie used her good leg to kick him in the head, stunning him for a few seconds. Jack and Nancy helped Rod out, which wasn't easy, since he was intent on fighting to the death. Vlad and Nancy eventually got out and they locked the door. Nancy tied a string around it, to the confusion of Jack and Ron.

"I'm not done with him!" Rod exclaimed. "Let him face me like a man!"

"Come on, don't get yourself killed." Vlad replied, pulling him back. Jack used the baseball bat he brought to break the windows. They screamed for help, but weren't getting any response. "Everything's gonna be all right!"

They heard Freddy breaking the door down and a sledgehammer slamming into his stomach. "So that's why you tried the string to the door." Jack realized. He fell down the stairs, dazed, but was far from out. He grabbed at him, and they scattered. "You suck, Krueger!" Maddie yelled before limping away.

"Am I the only one who finds it weird that Nancy's mom can sleep through this?" Vlad wondered. Krueger charged again and tripped over a wire, causing the light bulb to blow up. He fell to the ground, but not before 

grabbing Jack by the leg. He stabbed him through the shoulder, not bothering to play around. However, he overlooked the others until Rod stabbed him repeatedly in the face. "Look at it this way: you can't get any uglier. Vlad picked up the bat and bashed him in the head. Jack crawled away, groaning in pain.

"So do you have any more bright ideas?" Rod hissed, his shirt covered with blood. They looked at each other and couldn't find an answer. Krueger got up, more enraged than ever. He charged towards them, only to be tripped by Vlad. "Run!"

They ran around the house, screaming for help, but nobody came, and they were just about to give up. "I have an idea." Vlad declared, grinning wickedly. He and Jack helped Maddie walk, even though she insisted that she could do it by herself.

XXXXXX

"This is the weirdest case I have ever seen." Lt. Thompson shook his head. "No body, no evidence of forced entry… I just can't understand it."

"Does your daughter know anything about it?" One of the officers asked.

"She keeps insisting Krueger is responsible." He replied. "This has been hard on her, poor kid. First, Vlad murders Tina, although I can't prove it, and now this. I wish there was something I could do."

"I hope she's able to get through this. So should we write this up as a murder, or what?"

"I'll think about that later. Right now, I just need to clear my head. Oh, crap, my daughter said to wake her up. I don't have any idea why, but I'll find out." He walked outside, and the first thing he noticed was that several of the windows were broken. "What the hell…?"

"Daddy, help me, please!" Nancy screamed. He looked confused until Vlad rammed into her, looking furious. The last thing he saw was a hand with knives attached.

"Get everyone over here." He ordered. "There's something attacking my daughter!" _At first, I thought it was Vlad, but it looked like he was thrown. Could she have been right after all? No, that's impossible…right?_

XXXXXX

They were chased into the basement. Krueger laughed, enjoying their fear. "Okay, I'm tired of running." Vlad snarled. He grabbed Krueger by the legs, while Ron buried his knives into his chest.

"Keep hammering him!" Maddie exclaimed. Unfortunately, Krueger was too strong to keep down for long. He cut Jack across the face, and before Nancy could move, sliced her nightgown open.

Vlad, Rod, and Nancy were the only ones that could still fight, and the only reason for the latter two was revenge. Vlad picked up the heaviest object he could find and slammed it into Krueger's back. He growled in fury and backhanded him. Stubbornly, he got up, determined to keep fighting.

Jack and Maddie got up as well, despite the fact that their clothes were covered in blood. Nancy stood beside them, waiting for him to move. Vlad and Ron nodded to each other and launched a devastating attack. Jack punched him across the jaw, and Maddie kicked him several times in the gut. Nancy's eyes brightened as she thought of an idea.

Jack screamed as Krueger's knives buried themselves in his gut. He twisted them, and he screamed even louder. "The screams of the children… how I missed them," Krueger laughed. Vlad charged, but was easily batted aside. Rod struck back with his switchblades, although Krueger managed to block one of them with a glove.

Nancy crawled to Jack, trying to find a way to stop the bleeding. Maddie threw anything she could find at him, and eventually found a butcher knife. However, everyone backed away from the fierce fight between Krueger and Rod. The latter was determined and furious, but the blood loss was weakening him. Vlad grabbed the knife from Nancy and stabbed him through the throat.

"What does it take to kill this fucker?" Rod exclaimed angrily, as Krueger sealed his wounds and walked towards them, grinning in anticipation. Jack still tried to get up, but his legs collapsed on him. Nancy and Maddie gave him apologetic looks, and decided to fight.

"Come on, Krueger." Vlad taunted. "What are you, a coward?" Furiously, he charged towards him, blades glowing in the dim light. He buried the butcher knife into Krueger leg, twisting it as much as he can. Rod stabbed him several times, but was stopped in mid-thrust. Krueger grabbed him by the neck and cut his veins.

"Good-bye, child," Krueger laughed, stabbing him through the throat. He turned to the others, who glared furiously. Maddie grabbed a golf club she found lying around and swung at Krueger. She hit him several times, but left herself open to his counterattack. She moved fast enough to avoid a fatal blow, but the knives still got about 2 inches into her chest. Blood poured everywhere and she fell, clutching her injury.

Nancy and Vlad looked at each other. They were the only ones who could still fight, and the odds didn't look good. Krueger swung his knives towards her. Fortunately, Vlad grabbed his arm and threw him off-course. Krueger had other ideas, though, and kicked her in the head.

Vlad was alone.

Sorry, I had to end it there. There's only one chapter left, and I hope to resolve the ending, which was kind of stupid, in my opinion. The next chapter may be a while. I have school starting next week, and my sister's coming to visit.


	5. The end

Well, here's the final chapter. It certainly took me long enough. By the end, I hope you'll understand why I put Jack, Maddie, and Vlad in it.

_Well, this stinks. _Vlad thought as he looked around him. He was facing Krueger alone, and if his friends couldn't do it together, what chance did he have? "Make your move, boy." Krueger grinned.

Vlad weighed his options. He highly doubted that he could get away in time, and even if he could, he wasn't about to leave his friends at the mercy of this monster. Diving to the left, he grabbed Rod's switchblades out of his hands and settled into a defensive position. "Fine, if you want a fight, you've got one." Vlad glared.

Krueger slashed at him with his gloves. Since Vlad had two blades, he managed to parry most of the assaults, but he was constantly giving around and more than once he almost tripped over one of his wounded comrades. However, Krueger made a mistake and Vlad slashed his throat, forcing him back. He pressed his advantage, driving Krueger to the stairs. Unfortunately, he left himself open for Krueger's counter, which sliced his stomach quit badly.

Vlad clutched his wound, his free hand shaky, but he was determined to keep fighting. _I've never given up before and I'm not about to start now. _However, Krueger fell forward, due to Nancy smashing a bottle. "I'll kill both of you slowly. You'll beg for death before I'm done!"

"Never!" Vlad exclaimed, elbowing him in the gut.

"Vlad, get clear!" Nancy warned. Vlad didn't know what her plan was, but obeyed her instructions. She threw an active match on him, and he went up in flames. He groaned in pain, trying to reach them, but the fire was draining his energy quickly.

"Nancy, get your father over here before it's too late. I'll see what I can do for them." He turned to Jack and Maddie, who were both groaning weakly on the floor.

"Never knew you could fight like that, V-man." Jack grinned, despite his injuries. "Maybe we can hunt ghosts together… assuming I live."

"Don't talk like that; you'll get through this." Vlad tore his shirt off and wrapped it around Jack's wound as best he could. "This'll help stop the bleeding." He rushed towards Maddie, who was in even worse shape.

"No, don't, please." Maddie pleaded, weak and unaware due to loss of blood. She tried to hit him, but was too weak even to move her arm. "Don't hurt me, Daddy!" Vlad snarled in rage as he knew what she was referring to. Vlad tore the lower half of her shirt to make a bandage. Eventually, he decided to stuff the cloth into her wounds. _It might cause an infection, but if I don't do something soon, she's going to die anyway. Knowing my luck, I'll get the blame for all this yet again. Let's see if Nancy's actually gotten her father here yet._

He ran up the stairs, trying to get help for his fallen friends. Several police officers finally arrived at the house. "What the hell is going on?" Lt. Thompson demanded. "What happened to you, Masters?"

"It's the guy you kept insisting was dead." Vlad growled in reply. "Jack and Maddie are down there, badly hurt. Rod's already dead; Krueger managed to get him before we could do anything."

"Check downstairs, and see what's there." He ordered. "Both of you have a lot of explaining to do."

"We kept trying to tell you, but we got him." Nancy explained. "We set him on fire."

"Just get an ambulance. Jack and Maddie are down there, and if you don't get one soon, Maddie's going to die!"

"Looks like he's telling the truth," One of the officers informed, "I told the paramedics outside. I think they'll pull through."

"Oh, no, he's going after mother!" Nancy screamed, seeing flaming footprints up the stairs. She sprinted up there, Vlad and her father following closely behind.

"Doesn't this guy ever give up?" Vlad complained as they went up the stairs. Nancy ripped open the door, and saw Krueger strangling her mother. She bashed him in the head with a chair, but he didn't loosen his grip on her.

Lt. Thompson grabbed a blanket and put it over them in an attempt to put out the flames, but it was too late. "He's under there; get away!" Vlad demanded, pulling him back. Mrs. Thompson's burned body floated above the bed and slowly sunk into the blue light.

"Now do you believe us?" Nancy cried, and her father nodded.

"It's about time, you idiot!" Vlad exclaimed. "How long have we been warning you? Does this look like we're crazy, that we're making things up? Ow, damn!" He clutched his wounds, struggling to stay on his feet.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" he asked. "You've got bruises all over you."

"Yeah, I'll be all right." She managed to say. "Just give us some time, and get him some medical attention."

"Go to hell; I'm not exactly inclined to trust my life to you idiots." Vlad glared at him. His wounds had stopped bleeding, but there were still long ugly scabs on his body.

"Lieutenant, we've managed to put out most of the fires."

"Good, I'll be with you in a second." He turned to Nancy. "Are you sure you'll be all right sweetheart?" She nodded, and he reluctantly left.

As soon as he left, Krueger showed up through the sheets, glaring death at him. "Did you really think you could beat me?" He laughed.

"It's about time you showed up." Vlad smirked. "What, are you too much of a coward to face adults, so you have to kill children? I wish I could say I was surprised."

"Too late; we know you too well." Nancy added.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you both." Krueger laughed, floating above them.

"Keep dreaming, Freddy." Vlad laughed. "We figured out your little secret. This is nothing but a dream, and you are beaten."

"Fool! This is reality!"

"Where you don't belong," Nancy pointed out. "I take back every bit of power I gave you. You're nothing. You're shit."

"He's a child molester; that speaks for itself." Vlad told her. "Good-bye, Krueger; don't bother to keep in touch." They turned towards the door. Krueger charged towards Nancy, but he went right through her and ultimately disappeared. "What a wuss." They went back to Nancy's room and quickly fell asleep. Vlad's last thoughts were wondering how her father would react when he found out.

They woke up, walking into the living room. "Come on, we don't want to be late." Nancy declared. Her mother followed them outside, smiling.

"It's going to get cloudy soon, or it wouldn't be this bright." She stated.

"Are you feeling any better?"

"I feel like a million bucks. They say you've bottomed out when you can't remember the night before. You know, baby, I'm going to stop drinking. I just 

don't feel like it anymore. Did I keep you awake last night? You look a little peaked."

"No, I guess I just slept heavy. I'll see you."

"See you."

They saw a car with Glen, Rod, and Tina inside, waving at them. Nancy was about to get in the car when she was pulled back by Vlad. "Wait, stop; this is some kind of trick!"

"What are you talking about, Vlad?" Nancy demanded.

"Your mother shouldn't be sounding so cheery, to begin with." He pointed out. "After the way she drank, she should have a massive hangover and feel like crap. That, and you don't just wake up one day and decide to quit drinking. It takes time to come to that conclusion and it's a long process to truly give it up! No, we're still in the dream; Krueger's still alive!"

"How? We destroyed him!"

"Apparently not, or we wouldn't be here. Just keep your eyes open." He looked around, trying to find something out of the ordinary. _I highly doubt her mom would quit drinking, although I'm not about to tell her that. Where are you, Krueger?_

Nancy's mom screamed as a hand with razors pulled her inside the house. Vlad rushed to help, only to find himself in a hospital bed with his parents and Nancy beside him. "Are you all right, son?" Mr. Masters asked.

"I think I'll live; where's Jack and Maddie?" He asked.

"I think they're still sleeping." Nancy explained. Vlad noticed a bandage on her arm. When he mentioned it, she said. "I gave Maddie some of my blood. We both have type A, so I figured I may as well help out. Vlad, did you have the same dream I did?"

"You mean where it seemed like everything was false, but where your mother was grabbed by Krueger? Then yes."

"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Masters asked. "Krueger is dead!"

"Apparently he decided to get revenge from beyond the grave, just as if we hadn't seen that plotline a thousand times." Vlad explained. "Who do you think attacked us?"

"You mean he managed to survive?" Mr. Masters demanded. "When I get my hands on that son of a bitch, I'm going to…"

"We beat him, Mr. Masters." Nancy interrupted. "It was difficult, but we did it." _Somehow, I don't know. What was with the dream we had last night? Could he have survived after all?_

"All of this is still very confusing." Mrs. Masters admitted. "I guess Jack's crazy father isn't so crazy after all."

"This has certainly convinced me." Vlad informed. "I'm starting to think that we need a way to fight these creatures if they ever show up again. For all we know, there are thousands more like Krueger." _And Krueger may still be around; there's no way to tell. We had better be ready. _He got up from his hospital bed, ignoring the pain. "I'm going to see Jack and Maddie." His tone allowed no argument and his parents reluctantly gave him permission.

He visited Jack, since Maddie was in no condition for visitors. "Hey, V-man, we did it." Jack smiled, chuckling despite the pain.

"Uh… I'm not so sure we did." Vlad warned after making sure they were alone. "Nancy and I had the same dream, where we saw someone who looked just like Krueger. It might not be over."

"Great, how are we going to survive?" Jack complained, becoming more coherent. "I'm supposed to worry about girls and sports, not whether or not I'm going to live."

Nancy walked into the room. "There's got to be something we can do." She stated. "Vlad here came up with an interesting proposal."

"You know those blueprints your father has?" Vlad asked. When Jack nodded, he went on. "I was thinking that maybe we should try to build those weapons, so if I am right, we won't be caught off guard. Better safe than sorry," _And perhaps I can make a name for myself, instead of living in my parents' shadow._

"For now, though, let's try to focus on putting our lives back together." Jack proposed.

"Do you really think it's going to be that easy?" Nancy screamed. "I lost my friends, my boyfriend, and my mother! How dare you say that to me?"

"Calm down, Nancy!" Vlad interjected, stepping between her and Jack. "We're not asking you to forget them, but to be ready in case any of this happens again. Besides, I'd kind of like to get back to a normal life myself." Nancy glared at him harshly. "Okay, forget I said that. Let's just dodge those stupid witch-hunters once we get back to school."

Their parents walked into the room. Lt. Thompson and the Masters glared at each other in mutual loathing. Mr. Fenton looked half-pleased. "I was right about this all along!" He exclaimed. "I've got some blueprints for weapons I can create… assuming I can get the money for them."

"Why would I give money to finance your crackpot ideas?" Mr. Masters demanded.

"Dad, enough!" Vlad cut in. "This stuff is real; never thought I'd say that, but it is. We just about died last night; Rod did die. I'm not even sure we managed to beat him. If he shows up again, we'd better be prepared! Even if you think he's a crackpot, considering my safety and the safety of all the children. You consider yourselves to be looking out for them; is that a lie?"

"He's certainly got a point." Mrs. Masters admitted. "Krueger's legacy has never left any of us, and considering what I've been told, Vladdie's persuading me as well."

"I want to see the blueprints before I agree to anything." Mr. Masters conceded. "If you convince me this is worthwhile, I'll fund the experiments."

"Excellent; building these ought to be fun!" Jack smiled.

"Remember the last time you tried to build something?" Vlad shuddered at the memory. "You've got a more creative mind than either me or Maddie, but let us look and correct any bugs that might exist."

It took about 3 days for Jack to be released, but Maddie had to stay for over a week, since it was touch and go for a while. Eventually, though, they were all back at school with Nancy in tow. She had become an honorary member of their group after all they had been through.

As it turned out, Vlad was not exaggerating about the rumors. Most of them said that Nancy was a complete nut, and that Vlad killed all of her friends, or even that she did it herself. To put it lightly, it was not a pleasant experience. Thankfully, it was the last week of school. Finals were far too difficult for any of them to have fun between them, but all of them managed to do well. Vlad got the best grades, with Maddie right behind him. Jack and Nancy did about the same, getting around a B- overall.

They spent their free time at Jack's house, looking over the blueprints for ghost weaponry. "Are you sure this stuff is going to work?" Nancy wondered.

"It certainly looks complicated, but I think we can pull it off." Vlad reassured. "This thermos design looks interesting, but we don't have the technology to build it."

"How about this?" Jack suggested. "This is a design for ecto-guns. It'll give almost any ghosts a nasty surprise if we find it."

"Yeah, if we study these over the summer, it'll be a piece of cake." Maddie smiled. "Our biggest problem is finding a source of ectoplasm. It isn't exactly a common substance."

"Hey, we can build a ghost portal that will give us all the energy we need!" Jack exclaimed excitedly.

"Jack, do you have any idea if there is even a ghost realm?" Vlad reasoned. "And if there is, we can't possibly rip a hole in the interdimensional barrier; we have no idea what the consequences will be!"

"I think Vlad's right." Nancy added. "This will take time, but it's at least a start. You know, I heard about some drug that's being tested. It's supposed to suppress dreams."

"Good; we'll need anything we can to be ready." Maddie complimented. _I'm not sure that Krueger's still around, but why take a chance? Besides, he's probably not the only one out there. _

However, many of the blueprints were beyond their comprehension, so they realized it was going to take a lot of work. Vlad in particular was determined to figure out and copy the weapons. "I have to admit, this is pretty interesting when you think about it." Vlad admitted. He briefly saw himself the victim of a terrible accident and forced to live a cursed life, but shoved that aside. _What are the odds of that happening? I suppose I'm going to try and kill Jack, too. _

They eventually got tired; even fascination had its limits. Vlad and Jack went inside one room, Nancy and Maddie in the other. Normally, Nancy wasn't allowed to sleep over, but her father was out of it because of what happened.

"You know, college ought to be a lot of fun." Jack remarked. "Just think of what we'll be able to do."

"I know, I know." Vlad sighed. "Just get some sleep; I'm exhausted. This ought to be an interesting few years." Just before he went to sleep, he saw Freddy's face on the ceiling.

_Impossible, that's just my imagination… right?_

Okay, that concludes my story. Now I can finally concentrate on the next one. As always, please review.


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